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Crime thriller

King of New York (1990): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

King of New York (1990) movie poster

King of New York is a 1990 crime thriller directed by Abel Ferrara, starring Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne and Steve Buscemi. It runs 1 hour 43 minutes and earned $2.6 million worldwide. It earned 1 award nomination, including Best Cinematography at the Spirit Awards 1991. Critics gave it 73% on Rotten Tomatoes and 66 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.9/10.

IMDb rating
6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes
73%
worldwide gross
$2.6M
award nomination
1
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King of New York (1990) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 43m (103 min)
Director
Abel Ferrara
Genres
Thriller , Crime
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is King of New York About?

The premise of King of New York without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A ruthless crime lord attempts to seize control of New York's drug trade, unexpectedly joining forces with the city's forgotten residents. His ambition isn's solely about power; he aims to redistribute wealth and influence within the underbelly of the city, creating a complex web of alliances and betrayals as he strives for dominance.

King of New York Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • mob boss
  • cult film
  • murder
  • chase
  • release from prison
  • prostitute
  • underwear
  • bride and groom
  • subway
  • violence
  • dead woman
  • brothel
+38 more
  • lingerie
  • taxi
  • female nudity
  • dead body in a car trunk
  • car chase
  • murder at funeral
  • neo noir
  • female rear nudity
  • place name in title
  • title spoken by character
  • biracial child
  • cobbled street
  • soda
  • watching tv
  • four word title
  • gun
  • woman wears a short skirt
  • drug trade
  • drug trafficking
  • drug trafficker
  • drug kingpin
  • crime lord
  • gangster boss
  • gangland
  • gangsterism
  • underworld
  • criminal underworld
  • underbelly
  • major drug dealer
  • new york city gangster
  • crime empire
  • criminal empire
  • crime war
  • criminal
  • american gangster
  • american mafia
  • cosa nostra
  • chinese mafia
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Cast & crew

King of New York Cast

Christopher Walken leads the cast, with Laurence Fishburne and Steve Buscemi. Directed by Abel Ferrara; 10 actors are credited in all.

From the director

More from Abel Ferrara

More films directed by Abel Ferrara, best-rated first: Pasolini, Bad Lieutenant, Ms. 45 and Tommaso.

Full filmography
Ratings

King of New York Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave King of New York 73% on Rotten Tomatoes and 66 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.9/10.

Plot

King of New York Plot Summary

What happens in King of New York from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Frank White, portrayed by Christopher Walken, is a notorious drug lord making a grand return to New York City in a luxurious limousine after his release from the infamous Sing Sing prison. The story kicks off with the cold-blooded murder of a Colombian drug dealer, Emilio El Zapa, whose death is marked by a newspaper headline announcing Frank’s release. Zapa’s associate, King Tito, finds himself in a compromising position, holed up in a hotel room with Jimmy Jump, played by Laurence Fishburne, and Test Tube, depicted by Steve Buscemi. The duo seizes the opportunity to kill Tito and his armed guards, making off with a hefty stash of cocaine.

Full summary

The whole story of King of New York, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

King of New York Box Office

King of New York grossed $2.6 million worldwide.

1990 box office

Worldwide gross

$2.6M

US & Canada
$2.6M
Awards

King of New York Awards & Nominations

King of New York earned 1 award nomination, including Best Cinematography at the Spirit Awards 1991.

1 nomination1 ceremony

Videos

King of New York Trailers & Videos

The trailer of King of New York.

US Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know King of New York?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who plays the main character, Frank White, in 'King of New York'?

Cars

Cars in King of New York

28 cars on screen, including the 1982 Cadillac Fleetwood Limousine and the 1981 Dodge Diplomat.

All 28 cars
  • 1982 Cadillac Fleetwood Limousine in King of New York 1982 Cadillac Fleetwood Limousine Important role
  • 1981 Dodge Diplomat in King of New York 1981 Dodge Diplomat Important role
  • 1982 Ford LTD-S in King of New York 1982 Ford LTD-S Important role
  • 1990 Lincoln Mark VII in King of New York 1990 Lincoln Mark VII Important role
Details

King of New York Also Known As

20 alternative titles, including “Le Roi de New-York” and “King of New York - König zwischen Tag und Nacht”.

Also known as
  • Le Roi de New-York
  • King of New York - König zwischen Tag und Nacht
  • The King of New York
  • O Rei de Nova Iorque
  • El rey de Nueva York
  • 纽约王
  • Король Нью-Йорка
  • Το Αφεντικό της Νέας Υόρκης
  • מרדף בניו יורק
  • New York királya
  • Král New Yorku
  • O Rei de Nova York
+8 more
  • Niujorko karalius
  • 킹 오브 뉴욕
  • Król Nowego Jorku
  • حکمران نیویورک (شاه نیویورک)
  • Ông Trùm New York
  • Кралят на Ню Йорк
  • キング・オブ・ニューヨーク
  • New York'un Kralı

Seen King of New York?

FAQ

King of New York FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of King of New York, each answered in a sentence.

How long is King of New York?

King of New York runs 1 hour 43 minutes (103 minutes).

When was King of New York released?

King of New York was released on September 28, 1990.

Who directed King of New York?

King of New York was directed by Abel Ferrara.

More films by Abel Ferrara

Who is in the cast of King of New York?

King of New York stars Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne and Steve Buscemi, among 10 credited actors.

How much did King of New York make at the box office?

King of New York grossed $2.6 million worldwide.

How is King of New York rated?

King of New York has 6.9/10 on IMDb, 73% on Rotten Tomatoes, 66 on Metacritic and 67% on TMDB.

Was King of New York nominated for any awards?

King of New York received 1 nomination across 1 ceremony.

Does King of New York have a post-credit scene?

No. King of New York has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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